Dispenser stacking device



M1115' 13, 1958 c. L.. METZLER ETAL 2,834,507

DISPENSER sTAcKING DEVICE Filed Oct. 29. 1953 e QM United States. Patent C DISPENSER STACKING DEVICE Charles L. Metzler, Palisades Park, N. J., and John D. Wark, Freeport, N. Y., assignors to Johnson & Johnson, a corporation of New Jersey Application ctob`er 29, 1953, Serial No. 389,084

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-97) The present invention relates to portable dispensing devices for adhesive tape, more particularly to such devices which support and enclose a tape roll for dispens ing purposes.

This invention contemplates portable dispensers for adhesive tape having ridge devices for allowing them to be easily stacked one upon the other for convenience in packing, storing, and displaying the dispensers. The dispensers are constructed and the devices are arranged to provide quick registration between dispensers for stacking and ready removal one from the other. The ridge devices are simple and may be made of inexpensive, durable material integral with the dispenser itself. For instance, they may comprise extensions of the inner cylindrical Wall or spool of an annular type dispenser for supporting and enclosing a tape roll.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claim taken together with the drawings wherein: p

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation showing vdispensers embodying this invention stacked one upon the other;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of portions of two of the dispensers of Fig. 1, partly cut away to show the structure for stacking the dispensers;

Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged sectional View of a portion of Fig. 2 showing details of cooperating portions of the stacking structure. t

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a dispenser for supporting and enclosing a roll of tape having a top member 11 and a bottom member 12 joined by a peripheral wall 13. A tape roll 14 is supported on an inner cylindrical wall or spool 15 centrally disposed with respect to the outer peripheral wall and extending between the top and bottom members, such that the inner and outer walls and the top and bottom members together provide an enclosed dispenser in the form of an annulus.

Projecting outwardly from each of the top and bottom members are ridge devices 16 and 17 comprising spaced opposed portions which mate with one another for stacking the dispensers. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the outside dimension over the opposed portions 16 on the bottom member 12 is substantially the same as the inside dimension between the corresponding vopposed portions 17 extending from the top member 11, such that the top member of one dispenser will mate with the bottom member of another as shown in Fig. 2. The ridges may be in the form of cooperating flange portions, lips, or other separated and appropriately spaced members. However, it is preferred that the ridge devices have a closed geometric conformation to facilitate registration of one with the other. With closed geometric conformations such as corresponding circles, squares,

hexagons, etc., there is no danger of false registration and it is generally easier to t the dispensers together. In order to assure simplicity in stacking and ready access to the edges of individual dispensers, the ridge devices 16 and 17 are located adjacent the central hole 1S ice of the annular dispenser and the top and bottom members 11 and 12 taper from their respective ridge devices toward their peripheral edges 19 and 20. The oppositely tapering, top and bottom members of adjacent dispensers in a stack define a space 10 between their peripheral edges which allows ready distinction between the stacked dispensers.

Preferably, the ridge devices are in the form of extensions of the inner cylindrical wall or spool 15, such that they comprise ring-like ridges or flanges extending upward or downward from the central portion of the top or bottom members of the dispersers, as the case may be. In order to provide a stable base for dispensers stacked above it, the ridge 17 presented lat the top of each tape dispenser has a relatively large diameter. It is formed at the intersection of the top member 11 and the top or outer end of a portion 21 which liares outwardly from the spool 15. The ridge 16 presented at the bottom of each tape dispenser is formed at the intersection of the bottom member 12 and the bottom or outer end of a portion 22 which likewise ares outwardly from the spool 15 but to alesser extent than the portion 21 since the ridge 16 is designed to nest within the ridge 17. The top ridge 17 of the underlying dispenser has a top flat surface 23 and a narrow cylindrical inner surface 24. The bottom'ridge 16 has a narrow cylindrical outer surface 25 which mates with and has substantially the same diameter as the inner surface 24. When the ridges nest one within the other, the bottom member 12 at the base of its taper immediately adjacent the ridge 16 rests upon the upper surface 23 of the ridge 17 presented by the underlying dispenser.

A dispenser incorporating this invention may be formed of any suitable inexpensive yet durable material such as plastic, metal, etc. If plastic is used, the ridge devices may be moulded integral with the cylindrical spool or the top and bottom members 11 and 12, or both, depending toy a large extent on the assembly methods used. In the embodiment of Fig. 2, the spool 15 is split for assembly purposes; the upper half of the spool having an inwardly otset portion 27 which lits within the lower half of the spool, such that the two halves may be inserted through opposite ends of a core 2S of a roll of tape and iitted together to mount the roll for dispensing purposes.

The invention claimed is:

A portable dispensing device for adhesive tape comprising circular top and bottom members, said top and bottom members having a downwardly extending ange portion and an upwardly extending flange portion respectively immediately adjacent their peripheral edges, said top and bottom members interconnected by an outer peripheral wall member being in engagement with the ange portions of said top and bottom members and an inner cylindrical wall for supporting the tape roll, said inner wall being split intermediate the top and bottom members forming separate sections interconnected with one another, said top and bottom members and said inner and outer wall members forming an annulus for enclosing the tape, said annnlus having a central opening defined by said inner cylindrical wall, and circular ridge devices projecting outwardly from each of said top and bottom members and disposed around the central hole of the annulus in a closed geometric conformation, opposite portions of said ridge devices extending vertically and in substantially parallel relation with one another, said ridge devices comprising extensions of said inner wall and one ridge device having an outside diameter substantially the same as the inside diameter of the other ridge device whereby the ridge portions on the top and bottom members of a plurality of such dispensers will meet one within the other, and said top and bottom members tapering from the ridge devices toward their peripheral edges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS v283,949 Bam Aug. 2s, 1883 4 Pettit et a1. Oct. 2, 1894 Kellenberger Feb. 23, 1915 Le May June 17, 1924 Burdick July 3, 1945 Iwata Jan. 31, 1950 Mihalyi Nov. 13, 1951 

